Tramea basilaris (Palisot de Beauvois, 1817)
Keyhole Glider

Type locality: Nigeria, no locality data available.

Diagnosis

Male differs from T. limbata by (1) dorsum of frons pale, sometimes washed red metallic, with contrasting dark basal band; (2) Hw base with double dark brown patch, sometimes merged to form irregular crescent, enclosed by yellow area, these markings usually entering triangle; (3) cerci slightly longer than S9-10. [Adapted from Dijkstra & Clausnitzer 2014]

Habitat description

Mostly standing and often temporary waters, but possibly also large lakes, in open landscapes, but sometimes shaded by gallery forest. Often with coarse detritus and a soft (like muddy) bottom. From 0 to 2100 m above sea level, but mostly below 1500.

Distribution

confirmed: Angola; Benin; Botswana; Burkina Faso; Côte d'Ivoire; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; Congo-Brazzaville; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Equatorial Guinea; Ethiopia; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Guinee-Bissau; Kenya; Liberia; Malawi; Mali; Mauritania; Mozambique; Namibia; Niger; Nigeria; Republic of South Africa; Rwanda; São Tomé & Príncipe; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Socotra (Yemen); Somalia; Swaziland; Tanzania; Togo; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe; NOT confirmed: South Sudan


Male © Nicolas Meziere


Male © Warwick Tarboton


Abdominal segment 2 (lateral view)

Map citation: Clausnitzer, V., K.-D.B. Dijkstra, R. Koch, J.-P. Boudot, W.R.T. Darwall, J. Kipping, B. Samraoui, M.J. Samways, J.P. Simaika & F. Suhling, 2012. Focus on African Freshwaters: hotspots of dragonfly diversity and conservation concern. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 10: 129-134.


Barcode specimen(s):


Male; Liberia, Nimba County, Mt Tokadeh © Dijkstra, K.-D.B.


Female; Liberia, Nimba County, © Dijkstra, K.-D.B.


Male; Democratic Republic of Congo, Katanga, © Dijkstra, K.-D.B.


Female; Democratic Republic of Congo, Katanga, Upemba National Park © Dijkstra, K.-D.B.


Male; Democratic Republic of Congo, Katanga, Upemba National Park © Dijkstra, K.-D.B.


Adult, female; Angola, Uige Province, new campus site and environs © Dijkstra, K.-D.B.

References

  • de Palisot de Beauvois, A.M.F.J. (1805). Insectes recueillis en Afrique et en Amérique dans les royaumes d'Oware et de Benin, à Saint-Domingue et dans les États-Unis, pendant les années, 1786-1797.
  • Ris, F. (1921). The Odonata or Dragonflies of South Africa. Annals South African Museum, XVIII, 245-452. [PDF file]
  • Gerstäcker, A. (1891). Jahrbuch Hamburgischen Wissenschaftlichen Anstalten, 9, 185-191. [PDF file]
  • Balinsky, B.I. (1961). Observations on the dragonfly fauna of the coastal region of Zululand, with descriptions of three new species (Odonata). Journal Entomological Society Southern Africa, 24, 72-91. [PDF file]
  • Pinhey, E.C.G. (1961). Dragonflies (Odonata) of Central Africa. Occasional Papers Rhodes-Livingstone Museum, 14, 1-97. [PDF file]
  • Pinhey, E.C.G. (1966). Check-list of dragonflies (Odonata) from Malawi, with description of a new Teinobasis Kirby. Arnoldia, 2, 1-24. [PDF file]
  • Ris, F. (1931). Odonata aus Süd-Angola. Revue Suisse Zoologie, 38, 97-112. [PDF file]
  • Sjöstedt, Y. (1900). Odonaten aus Kamerun, West -Afrika. Beltrage Zur Kenntnis der insektenfauna von Kamerun. Binhang Kongliga Svenka Vetenskaps Akademiens Handlingar, 25, 1-62.
  • Schouteden, H. (1934). Annales Musee Congo belge Zoologie 3 Section 2, 3, 1-84. [PDF file]
  • Pinhey, E.C.G. (1971). Odonata collected in Republique Centre-Africaine by R. Pujol. Arnoldia, 5, 1-16. [PDF file]
  • Schmidt, E. (1951). Libellen aus Portugiesisch Guinea, mit Bemerkungen über andere aethiopische Odonaten. Arquivos Museu Bocage, 20, 125-200. [PDF file]
  • Aguesse, P. (1966). Contribution à la faune de Congo (Brazzaville) Mission A. Villiers et A. Descarpentries XXI. Odonates. Bulletin de l'Institut fondamental d'Afrique, 28, 783-797. [PDF file]
  • Sjöstedt, Y. (1909). Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der schwedischen zoologischen Expedition nach dem Kilimandjaro, dem Meru und den umgebenden Massaisteppen Deutsch-Ostafrikas 1905-1906 unter Leitung von Prof. Dr. Yngve Sjöstedt. 14. Pseudoneuroptera. Odonata, 14, 1-52.

Citation: Dijkstra, K.-D.B (editor). African Dragonflies and Damselflies Online. http://addo.adu.org.za/ [2024-03-29].